Chapter 255: Chapter 255: Waiting to See You Cry Later
"Miss Chu, is there something else you need?" Sang Ning stopped and turned around, but showed no intention of exchanging pleasantries with the Chu Family trio.
Li Sulan and Chu Xi exchanged glances, as if there was something they wanted to say to Sang Ning but couldn’t muster the courage due to their egos.
Sang Ning had lost her patience. "If it’s nothing urgent, I’ll take my leave now."
"Wait, Xiao Ning." Chu Tian raised his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Xixi talked to us, and she’s agreed for you to return to the Chu Family..."
"So?" Sang Ning furrowed her brow, showing no sign of happiness.
Chu Tian glanced at Li Sulan and then turned lovingly to Sang Ning. "Your mother and I both miss you. Come home, will you?"
Sang Ning was unmoved. Chu Tian’s words carried a commanding tone, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Li Sulan stepped forward and grasped Sang Ning’s hand. "Xiao Ning, living on your own outside must have been very tough, right? You must deeply understand how helpless and bitter it is to be born into a poor family. Sang Youming and Hu Zhi simply can’t help you with anything."
From Li Sulan’s words, Sang Ning caught the key implication.
Li Sulan and Chu Tian had clearly been aware of the smear campaigns about her circulating online recently, yet they had chosen to watch coldly, all in an effort to let her feel the bitterness firsthand—to make her realize how important a powerful family backing truly was.
They always occupied the position of authority, attempting to suppress Sang Ning into submission.
But this was far from over—Sang Ning was not the kind of person who would crumble so easily.
Sang Youming and Hu Zhi might be flawed, but their love for her was unconditional.
Li Sulan and Chu Tian, by contrast, were more like parents driven by possessiveness. The moment they sensed their children breaking free from their control, they would go to any lengths to suppress them, creating an illusion that survival was impossible without them.
Sang Ning pursued spiritual freedom, and if she truly encountered parents like this, she would rather die than stay tethered to them.
She slowly pulled her hand back, expressionless, and said, "Mrs. Chu, only those who wallow in self-pity constantly lament about their families. Poverty in the family might slow me down, but it’ll never stop me from going far. Besides, my parents are not nearly as disgraceful as you think."
Li Sulan’s eyes revealed a hint of a sneering smile. "Xiao Ning, you’re still too naïve. In the face of absolute wealth and power, the Sang Family is destined to remain nothing more than ants in society."
Different worldviews don’t need to be forcibly tied together.
Sang Ning smiled. "I’m also part of the Sang Family. Since that’s the case, there’s no need to trouble Mrs. Chu and Mr. Chu over me. I’ll make it clear to you one last time: I will never return to the Chu Family. And let me remind you once more: your daughter is only Chu Xi."
Sang Ning’s determination left no room for negotiation.
No matter how much Chu Tian and Li Sulan tried to reach out, they were people who cared about their pride.
Sang Ning outright rejecting them repeatedly was, in Li Sulan’s eyes, simply ungrateful behavior.
"So be it. Just don’t regret it later!" Li Sulan was curious to see how long Sang Ning could hold out.
Chu Tian wanted to say a few more words but was stopped by Li Sulan. "Let it go, dear. Someone so stubborn is impossible to reason with. When she suffers, she’ll come begging us."
Sang Ning wasn’t against wealthy people; she just couldn’t accept a mother like Li Sulan, who always looked down on others with an air of superiority.
"Goodbye." Sang Ning still managed a courteous farewell to the three of them.
Midway through the banquet, Sang Ning went to the bathroom, and Chu Xi followed her.
When Sang Ning came out of the stall, she found Chu Xi waiting by the sink.
Sang Ning pretended Chu Xi didn’t exist. She washed her hands and was about to leave.
Chu Xi, however, reached out to block her. "Sang Ning, I don’t understand why you refuse to return to the Chu Family."
Sang Ning slowly raised her eyes to meet Chu Xi’s gaze but offered no response.
"The Sang Family is full of useless people. We’re both in the entertainment industry. You should know how hard it is to survive in this circle without resources; the Sang Family can’t help you with anything." Chu Xi spoke of the Sang Family with disdain, as if eager to trample them underfoot.
Sang Ning couldn’t understand. While the Sang Family was indeed not wealthy and couldn’t provide the same material resources as the Chu Family, Sang Youming and Hu Zhi had never neglected Chu Xi within their capabilities. At the very least, they had nurtured her with freedom and care.
"You have the Chu Family backing you now, but have you made it to the top as an A-list star or an award-winning actress?" Sang Ning asked bluntly.
She wanted Chu Xi to understand that external factors might influence success but couldn’t determine it.
Chu Xi’s face darkened noticeably.
Sang Ning’s gaze turned serious. "Chu Xi, you’ve always looked down on the Sang Family. You even lied to Chu Tian and Li Sulan, telling them the Sang Family valued boys over girls, forcing you to drop out of high school and work instead of studying further. Is that really the truth?"
Sang Ning stepped forward, cornering Chu Xi by the sink.
The truth is, Sang Chuan was the one always at the bottom of the family hierarchy. To satisfy you—their once-treasured daughter—they always made sacrifices for him.
And you care so much about schooling, fought tooth and nail to get into a prestigious private school. Now, Mrs. Chu has already helped you fulfill that dream by enrolling you in a private high school to make up for missing graduation. But what are you doing now?
If I remember correctly, this should be your senior year. Even Song Shiye has returned to school obediently, but here you are, taking on variety shows during this critical period. Are you planning to buy your way into college entrance exam success?"
Chu Xi was rendered speechless by Sang Ning’s blunt remarks, her eyes turning red and watery.
"Chu Xi, learn to cherish and be grateful. I understand your feelings. It’s natural for you to feel resentful after being swapped at birth and spending twenty years in hardship with the Sang Family. But remember this: the Sang Family might be poor, but they have never wronged you. I don’t ask you to be overly grateful, but at least stop slandering your former parents behind their backs—they’d be heartbroken if they heard."
Chu Xi slapped Sang Ning’s hand away forcefully. "I hate people who love preaching like you. Whether I despise someone or not is my freedom—you have no right to judge me!"
"Fair enough." Sang Ning nodded, agreeing with Chu Xi. "Which is why we’ll never be friends."
Chu Xi felt deeply hurt. She admitted to herself that she found Sang Ning special and had wanted to try building a connection.
But Chu Xi had her dignity too. Sang Ning’s constant rejection had severely wounded her self-esteem.
"Fine. I never planned to be friends with you anyway. But let me make this clear: over the past twenty years, the one who truly suffered was me, not you! Family love doesn’t put food on the table. Hu Zhi and Sang Youming couldn’t give me anything! Just wait and see—there’ll come a time when you’re the one crying!"
Chu Xi stormed out of the bathroom in a huff, and Sang Ning left shortly after.
Once both had left the bathroom entirely, a figure emerged slowly from the innermost stall.